The present invention relates generally to multi-color printing devices, and in particular, multi-color printing devices that employ a plurality of color inks.
Multi-color printing devices have grown substantially in popularity because of their versatility and the increasing use of color printing software applications. Multi-color printing devices include, among others, color ink jet printers and color electrophotographic printing machines. Multi-color printing devices typically include ink reservoirs containing a plurality of color inks, which may then be blended to create a large plurality of shades and tones of color. Such ink reservoirs often take the form of a liquid ink cartridge or toner cartridge. However, other ink reservoirs can include solid ink sticks or other media. Each ink reservoir supplies the ink to the application device, for example, an ink jet print head or a electrophotographic machine development system.
For example, a color ink-jet printer typically has ink reservoirs containing four color inks, including cyan, magenta, yellow and black. Such colors may be blended to create hundreds of different hues and tones of color.
An important part of the printing process in ink-jet printers, as well as other printing devices, is the blending of colors to arrive at the appropriate color. With respect to ink jet printing, the color data typically originates from a software application. That color data is in a format referenced herein as application print data. For example, photo-editing, chart-making, drawing and other software applications generate application print data that includes both image and color information. The application print data, however, must be converted to information used by the printing device to create the intended output.
To this end, control software that is typically, but not necessarily, executed by a processor in a general purpose computer, converts the application image data into raster data, and converts the application color information from the color space employed by the application to printer color space. At present, most software applications employ a color space that expresses colors in terms of combinations of red, blue and green. Such a color space, called the RGB color space, is typically employed in software applications because the RGB color space is compatible with video display equipment. By contrast, the colors in printer color space are typically expressed as combinations of cyan, magenta, yellow and black.
In any event, once the raster data and printer color data are generated, control devices within the printer cause the print-head of the printer to apply corresponding amounts of cyan, magenta, yellow and black ink during the scanning of the document to produce the appropriate image.
A problem arises in multi-color printing devices when the ink reservoir(s) associated with a particular color are empty. Because each ink color constitutes a fundamental constituent of a large number of colors, loss of a particular color typically renders the accurate reproduction of a multi-color image impossible.
As a result, in prior art printing apparatus, the printer controller would typically halt printing upon detection of an empty ink cartridge. The printer controller would not allow resumption of printing until the ink cartridge was replaced. Halting printing, while extremely inconvenient, prevents erroneous and nonsensical printing results when the printer lacks the ink to print in accordance with its printer data. Nevertheless, the inconvenience of suspending a print job is particularly amplified when replacement ink reservoirs are not readily available.
There exists a need, therefore, for reducing the inconvenience associated with the situation in which the ink reservoir for a particular color ink is empty. There is a further need to reduce such inconvenience while providing at least some printing utility.
Patents of general background interest, but which do not address the above stated needs include U.S. Pat. No. 5,778,160 to Smith, U.S. Pat. No. 6,019,460 to Ushiogi et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,064,493 to Neff, U.S. Pat. No. 6,139,135 to Becker et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,196,670 to Saruta, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,217,150 to Heydinger.
The above needs, as well as others, are addressed by providing a method and arrangement for controlling a multi-color printing device that identifies and applies a substitute color ink for a color ink whose ink reservoirs are empty. While the substitute color may not provide optimal results, it allows printing to continue and allows of the data to be printed.
Embodiments of the subject invention include an apparatus for generating printer data from application print data. The apparatus includes a memory and a processor. The memory stores the application print data. The processor is coupled to the memory and is further adapted to be coupled to receive printer status data from a multi-color printer. The processor can provide printer data to the multi-color printer. The processor can obtain from the printer status data information identifying a first color ink for which printing is inhibited. The processor can also identify one or more substitute color inks from a set of color inks for which printing is not inhibited. The processor can further generate printer data from application print data, substituting the one or more substitute color inks when print data requires the first color ink.
Additionally, embodiments of the present invention include a method for controlling a multi-color printing device having a plurality of ink reservoirs for containing a plurality of color inks. In such a method, information is obtained identifying a first color ink for which printing is inhibited. In addition, one or more substitute color inks are identified from a set of color inks for which printing is not inhibited. The multi-color printing device prints from a set of reservoirs that contain the one or more substitute color inks when print data requires the first color ink.
The above discussed features and advantages, as well as others, may be readily ascertained by those of ordinary skill in the art by reference to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.